This is a pretty amusing story because it seems like a pretty big step for the Hollywood Reporter, which remains one of the leading showbiz trades (although there aren’t many left), to call out Tom Cruise and David Miscavige’s relationship as “the most intense bromance in history.” Really though, that sort of mainstream declaration is almost overdue, for amidst all of the horror stories that come forth from former Scientology parishioners, there’s one constant — Dave and Tom are thick as lift-adorned thieves, and they are so cute together with their little thrones and motorcycles.

That’s the gist of it and why Tom won’t ever leave the CO$. Dave understands Tom, you see. Nobody else cares about Tom enough to spy on him for years in order to oust a difficult wife (i.e., Nicole Kidman) and bring him back into the fold. No one else comprehends Tom enough to be literally “obsessed” with him and give him all sorts of shiny, slave-labor made toys. No one else cares enough to put Tom’s video-recorded audit tapes on instant replay. Quite simply, no one does it for Tom like Dave does. So what about this claim that Dave wouldn’t hesistate to throw Tom under the bus if he left the cult? Tom doesn’t need to worry about that because Tom’s not going anywhere and knows nothing of a so-called crisis of faith. Here are some excerpts from the Hollywood Reporter article, which is worth reading in full, but here are the relevant parts:

Tom Cruise barely had a breather between what had to be one of the worst summers of his life and the smash opening of the Scientology-inspired movie The Master in New York and Los Angeles. The movie, which director Paul Thomas Anderson screened in advance for Cruise, comes on the heels of the actor abruptly being dumped by his third wife, Katie Holmes, in July and subjected to a humiliating media feeding frenzy, some of which included speculation about Cruise’s close relationship with Scientology’s powerful and controversial chairman, David Miscavige. Ex-Scientologist Marc Headley, who says he worked closely with Miscavige for 15 years during his long tenure with the church, calls it “the most intense, expensive bromance in history.”

The church’s star member could become a liability, much the same way Phoenix eventually becomes a source of trouble for “the Master.” Holmes’ divorce action against Cruise resulted in intense coverage of the church’s controversial inner workings — including Vanity Fair’s September cover story. (Karin Pouw, a representative for Scientology, wrote to The Hollywood Reporter that the recent attention is merely the work of “anti-Scientologists who were kicked out of the Church by Mr. Miscavige, most over eight years ago, [who] used Mr. Cruise’s divorce to further smear the Church with lies so they could promote themselves.” Nevertheless, she writes: “More people have accessed our websites and come in to our Churches over the summer than ever in our history. [The coverage] is having a very positive affect [sic] on people wanting to get accurate information about Scientology for themselves.”

Some people, both in Hollywood and within the circle of former church members, wonder whether Cruise might leave Scientology — as a smart career move if nothing else. But some insiders insist he’d never defect.

“Why should he?” asks veteran publicist Howard Bragman. “You’ve got to realize the difference between a crisis and a controversy in Hollywood. For most people, this is a controversy. It’s not necessarily going to impact his career.”

According to Mike Rinder, who says he was the chief spokesman for Scientology before leaving the organization in 2007, people in Hollywood seem content to look the other way as long as Cruise is making hit movies. “But they act as if his association with Scientology is as harmless as Madonna spending time with the Kabbalah people,” he says. “They don’t realize Tom Cruise is hanging out with someone who is the emotional equivalent of Jeffrey Dahmer.”

“There’s a point of no return, and I think Tom has crossed it,” says [former Scientologist Steve] Hall, who worked closely with Miscavige and knew Cruise slightly. “The time for him to leave was a long time ago. The lines between him and Miscavige are so blurred now.”

The consensus from interviews conducted during the past two months with dozens of former Scientology members who freely divulge church secrets was that Cruise’s relationship with Miscavige was symbiotic. Rinder says Cruise was a “really nice guy” when he first joined the church but, over time, took on more and more of Miscavige’s personality traits. “In Scientology, it’s called being in someone’s valence,” says Rinder. “Cruise has assumed a lot of Miscavige’s qualities.”

Church literature defines the concept of valence in part as “another’s identity assumed by a person unknowingly; a valence is a substitute self taken on after the fact of lost confidence in self or a failed valence or as a solution to a problem.”

Karen De La Carriere, who says she was one of Scientology’s most well-known and respected auditors until she left in 2010, notes that Cruise was “practically channeling” Miscavige during his infamous interview with Matt Lauer on Today in 2010. “The way he lit into Matt Lauer, calling him glib and attacking him — that was exactly how David Miscavige deals with people,” says De La Carriere. “That was the purest example of how Tom is in Miscavige’s valence. It’s a scary thing to watch.”

If true, being in Miscavige’s valence might be why Cruise remains so devoted to him despite what former Scientologists say are Miscavige’s frequent betrayals of him.

Former Scientologists told Vanity Fair as well as THR that Miscavige openly mocked Cruise behind his back. Several sources have told THR that they witnessed Miscavige reading personal details from auditing files aloud. Because Scientologists at every level reportedly are discouraged from reading newspaper articles about the church or watching TV news reports, Cruise might not know of the recent allegations that Miscavige disparaged him behind his back.

But if he ever did find out, watch out: “If the dupe ever links up,” says Rinder, using church jargon — meaning, if Cruise ever realizes Miscavige might have been disloyal — “I don’t think he’ll try to take over the church, but I do think he’d turn on Miscavige like a rabid dog.”

Evidence exists that Cruise has been aware of claims against Miscavige in the past. In a letter sent to ABC News’ Nightline on Oct. 22, 2009, Cruise’s attorney Bert Fields called the actor “a man of spirit, intelligence and independence.” He said, “Mr. Cruise is aware of the claims made against Mr. Miscavige by former members of the Church of Scientology. He does not believe them.”

Many issues come to the forefront in this article, but what sticks out the most for me at the moment is the notion that Kabbalah isn’t a dangerous cult too. It absolutely is a cult, and there are several resources out there, including this one, that detail ongoings of slave labor and mind control at the centers. Still, Kabbalah is not as flashy of a cult towards which to point fingers, and red bracelets don’t make headlines like couch jumping and e-meters do, so I guess that’s why people will show interest in Scientology exposés whereas talk of Kabbalah generally inspires yawns.

Ultimately, I do agree that Tom will never leave Scientology even if he does truly experience a crisis of faith. This is a shame because it would do so much if Tom had the guts to leave and then give a very public discussion of renouncing the cult. Even if the “church” then leaked his confidential audit files, I think the public would be on his side. Besides, what has Tom told the tin cans that would be worse than what we already know? I find it hard to believe that Tom possesses any secrets that are worse than his love of slave labor or acceptance of a mail-order wife. Bring it on, I say. Tom Cruise could win this battle and maybe even the war itself, but he’d rather just hang with Dave.

I know! How weird. They adopt the military salute, the Christian cross and the Star of David. Reminds me of how the Christians adopted pagan traditions in order to more easily indoctrinate the “heathens.”

Tom has it so drilled into his head that homosexuality is the worst thing ever, so even if he quit the cult he would never be able to even admit to himself what he really is, let alone the public. It’s shame that some people live so deeply in denial and shame.

OMG that last picture with Connor out of focus in the background is TOO FUNNY. That might not be his biological son, but so much of a child’s mannerism come from observing a parent, not biology. And I tell you that boy is ALL TOM. Hopefully Connor can keep the charm and not develop the manic nuttiness.

Actually, it is some dude off the street. There was a whole conversation about this the first time that shot was posted here, and the back of the backdrop faces a public sidewalk. In any case it is an awesome photobomb!

I remember that whole Donald Faison conversation and I admit at first I thought it looked like him but on further observation there is not way that was Donald Faison. Tom is a freak and his son has the exact saem manerisms and from what I have read is exactly like him. I wonder though if it is out of truly feeling loved by his father or out of trying to please him to belong. I can just imagine how he has raised them. It is probably my way or the highway and they would have been well aware of that. So to prove his devotion to his father he is just like him. Little suri was lucky to escape.

Maybe. Maybe not. It’s no less stupid than believing a snake told a woman made from a man’s rib to eat an apple and that’s where sin comes from so we’re all punished but if we believe some cock and bull story about a virgin giving birth to god’s son who was murdered then we get to be immortal. And I’m pretty sure the Catholic church has murdered and robbed way worse than Scientology has, but then again, they’ve had more centuries to hone their massacre skills.

One of Miscavige’s biggest talents is finding out a person’s weak spot, or what he needs to do to inveigle his way into their psyche to the point where they almost become one person. That way he can exert the most control, albeit very subtly, over that person.

With Tom, Miscavige knows that it’s his ego, so he panders to it constantly, giving Tom whatever he wants, constantly stroking him and lifting him up to the point where Tom believes he’s the equivalent of the second coming.

It’s a very dangerous symbiotic relationship, sort of like combining the charisma of Winston Churchill with the evil of Hitler.

Well said, I know a symbiotic relationship doesnt have to benefit both parties, but I’d like to think of MissCabbage as Tom’s parasitic twin (rather than his symbiotic partner in crazy). The image is much more amusing LOL

I love reading about Japanese culture and really like the quirky aspects of their society, but sometimes they seem really naive. I’m not talking about the entire population, but the ones who are obsessed and in awe of Hollywood.

I encountered a nice Japanese woman who was consumed with a celebrity over here, and the woman just couldn’t stop talking about her and posting on Facebook about her. It started to become unnerving.

Tom isn’t going anywhere. Another website is reporting that Tom is being treated special even more than normally now because he can see Suri without consequences from the cult.

A former member of the cult said this is out of the ordinary when someone does what Katie did, which is basically not just break from Tom, but also from the cult. On top of that Katie enrolled in a Catholic parish, which is even worse as far as the cult is concerned.

Anyone else in Tom’s place would not be allowed to see their spouse and children, but Tom is and other members of the cult are noting the special treatment he is getting.

So, why should he leave the cult? He obviously can do whatever he wants to do. He is used to privilege and as long as he gets it, he will stay where he is. I guess it doesn’t bother him or give him food for thought that there is a double standard going on in his cult. If he just an every day guy in this cult he wouldn’t have any contact with his daughter.

Since Katie got away, they made Nicole go away, made Miscaviage’s wife disappear…and Miscaviage’s seems to play by his own rules surprised they haven’t rewote the Cult rules to suit them in this. They do seem mighty fixated on each other in such an unhealthy way.

Reminds me of that Jeremy Irons movie “Dead Ringer”. I could so see those two go that crazy about each other & co dependent. They already have such a strange relationship.

One of the reasons may be his untreated mental illness. The bloodshed and violence committed by extremely mentally ill vitamin popping scientologists is getting worse and worse. And this supposed religion is just wiping their slates clean. Johnny Lewis’s life was Scientology and it finally killed him. When is the press and hollywood going to really get out from under the influence of CO$. Sons of Anarchy is a CO$ show. Why did I never know that Narcanon is CO$.

Cruise won’t leave. The people in that cult worship him, constantly tell him how he’s better than everyone else, that he can fly and read minds. Why would he give that up to become a mortal human being — and a short one at that. He could come into the real world where he’s laughed at for the ridiculous behavior and para-military cult uniforms and medals, or he can stay in the cult and be worshiped.

He can/will never admit he was wrong all those years. I don’t think his fragile intellect and vanity can handle it.

How many hours of slave labor did it take to carve that ‘throne’ by hand; to gild it; to weave the upholstery trim and chew the leather to make it soft enough for Tom to put his ass on it ? (I’m guessing the last part! But where the cult is concerned, it wouldn’t surprise me!)

why get so hot and bothered about the Taliban in Afghanistan when our own government can’t even rid the US of Scientology, which is every bit as Anti-American and suppressive as anything in the Middle East can come up with? This cult is EVERY BIT as dangerous to America as terrorists from other nations, they just don’t blow up citizens, they ENSLAVE them.

What a shame. Tom seemed like a nice guy before he fell in love with Co$. Nicole, Pene, Katie & Suri have done well to be free of him. How can anyone take Co$ seriously now and think “yeah that’s for me!”

What baffles the mind is that Tom IS intelligent and very talented and entertaining as an actor…but it shows you, intelligence and talent can only get you so far. Hopefully he hears and sees the truth soon!